IWE Cruiserweight Championship (1996–2007)

From Iwe

This article is about the championship created in 1996. For the light heavyweight championship contested between 1991 and 1992 that IWE considers as part of the Cruiserweight Championship's title history, see WCW Light Heavyweight Championship. For the championship contested between 2016 and 2022, see NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
IWE Cruiserweight Championship
The IWE Cruiserweight Championship belt (2002–2007)
Details
Promotion WCW
(1991-2001)
IWF/IWE
(2001-2007)
Brand SmackDown
(2002–2007)
Date
established 		March 20, 1996[a]
October 27, 1991[b]
Date retired September 28, 2007
Other name(s)

The IWE Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, International Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (IWF/IWE). It was contested by wrestlers 225 lbs and under, billed as cruiserweights. Following the acquisition of WCW by the then-IWF in 2001, it became a IWF (and later, IWE) championship and replaced the IWF Light Heavyweight Championship. During the first IWE brand extension, it was the only title to be exclusive to the SmackDown! brand during its entire tenure.

The championship was created in WCW in 1996, with Shinjiro Otani as the inaugural champion. However, following WCW's purchase, the IWF/E considered the title to be a continuation of the earlier WCW Light Heavyweight Championship, which had been created in 1991 with Brian Pillman as the inaugural champion. The Cruiserweight Championship was retired in 2007 with Hornswoggle as its final holder.

Another IWE Cruiserweight Championship was created in 2016, and although both championships had shared the same name (before the newer title was renamed to NXT Cruiserweight Championship in 2019), the newer championship did not carry the lineage of the original. The newer title also had a different weight limit of 205 lbs (93 kg) before the championship was retired in 2022.

Contents

[edit] History

See also WCW Light Heavyweight Championship

[edit] Brand designation history

Following the introduction of the brand split on March 25, 2002, all titles in WWE became exclusive to either the Raw or SmackDown! brand.

Date of transition Brand Notes

[edit] Reigns

Main article: List of IWE Cruiserweight Champions (1996–2007)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Template:WCW Championships Template:IWE Championships Template:IWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991-2007)

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